Signal mechanism for highway intersections



July 25, 1933. c, ADLER, JR 1,919,874

SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR HIGHWAY INTERSECTIONS Original Filed July 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 4 a i i s 1 2 2 z a a 9 a 759 i i J a z z y 4 a Z i 2 i 6 i .2 a i 5 s 7 9 a a a a a 2 H: g annual/111111111117;Iiiiiiihni)liulnunlulnllr/ g1 mmmmmmmma u I z an! 3 I B]? 17 .5 g a CMH w Patented July 25, 1933 CHARLES ADLER, JR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND SIGNAL MECHANISM FOR HIGHWAY INTERSEUDIONS Original application filed July 17, 1981, Serial No. 551,394. Divided and this application filed February 15,

i 1933. Serial No. 656,920.

This invention relates to improvements in signal mechanisms for highway intersections wherein the mechanism is operated by vehicles approaching the intersection. This application is a division of my copendmg application Serial No. 551,394, filed July 17, 1931. The invention comprises a highway element and is adapted for use with the sys tem disclosed in my said application as well as with that of my patent 1,705,323, March 12, 1929.

One object of the invention is to provide improved highway means for actuating the signal mechanism, which is free of exposed moving parts or switch elements that will be affected by the weather; which require practically no attention from a maintenance point of view and may be passed over by vehicles without jar to the latter or wear on the former and whose durability is practically indefinite. I

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved highway element which will set in motion sound waves as a vehicle 5 passes thereover which sound waves are utilized to actuate the signal mechanism.

A further object is to provide improved signal means which will be controlled by vibrating devices to effect a change in circuits to produce a change in signal indications and in which the vibrating devices may be utilized advantageously to maintain signal indications for indefinlte periods to accommodate trailic in volume.

The highway element of the present invention is actuated by traflic moving over the highway and is free of any objections such as are now encountered with treadle elements or similar devices having moving parts or switches, which are subject to clogging by snow, ice, rain or dbris, and hence are not thoroughly safe and reliable. The highway element of the present invention is moreover an improvement over so-called magnetic elements, in that it does away with any uncertainty incident to the use of such elements and operates in a thoroughly efficient way.

With these and other objects'in view, one

form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein;-

Figure 1 illustrates a sound-producing highway element in side elevation.

Figure 2. shows the same in top View.

Figure 3 illustrates a portion of the same in longitudinal section.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional detail of a sound producing element, and

Figure 5 illustrates in side elevation, one of the vibrating relays.

The highway elements are indicated at 10 and are placed in the highway so as to be flush therewith. Each element comprises a microphone structure including a microphone which is connected in any suitable manner to a relay as will be later herein explained.

he signal means employed at the intersection may be of any of the well-known forms but is preferably of such form as to provide, clear, stop and a caution or warning signal, such as commonly provide green, red and amber signal indications,

By reference to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the construction of these sound producing highway elements will be explained.

Each of these elements makes use of an outer shell or casing comprising a bottom 122; two side walls 123 and two end walls 124 and 125. This shell, in practice, is of a rectangular shape and is about five feet I ten inches long, more or less; about ten or eleven inches in width and between nine and ten inches in height. In practice, this casing or shell is embedded in the highway.

A cover 126 is supported by the outer hollow shell and forms the top thereof and also a sounding board, bein disposed in the path of moving traffic. in inner shell 127 is supported to vibrate within the outer shell due to passage of traflic over the cover 126. The inner shell or casing is preferably supported to depend freely within the outer shell from the said top or cover. This inner shell or casing is of smaller dimension than the outer shell and is formed of metal that is very much thinner than that of the outer shell, The inner shell is closed at the bottom, sides, one end and, of course, at the top by the cover 126. The cover 126 forms a common cover for both shells and protects them against the elements so that rain, snow, ice and debris cannot seep into the sound box. The inner and outer shells are preferably welded to the underside of the metal cover 126, as at 11. There is preferably no contact between the sides, ends or bottom of the outer shell or casing and said inner shell, and both shells are preferably hollow.

One end 128 of the inner shell has an opening 129 and closing said opening and connected by suitable means such as rivets, as shown, to the wall of the shell is a microphone structure 130 including a microphone. The microphone projects through an opening in the outer shell into a chamber 131 connected to the outer shell and the chamber has a detachable cover or door 132 so that access may be gained to the microphone Without removing the element from the highway. These various wires connected to the microphone, in practice, are carried in pipes through the wall 133 of the end chamber, and connected to one or more of the relays.

I have found in practice that it is quite desirable to provide a second covering over the cover 126 of the shell because sound vibrations in the inner shell are so readily set up that a heavy rain, or hail beating down directly on the cover 126 will cause vibrations at the microphones which will cause an operation of the signal mechanism. To avoid this, I use a rectangular shim preferably of sound-proof material 134 around the marginal edges of the cover 126 and I provide a plate of thin saw steel 135 which is stretched over but spaced from the top surface of the cover 126 so as to form a gap 136 between said plate and cover so that when rain or hail beat down on the steel plate, there will be no direct transmission of sound to the inner shell.

A rectangular frame 137 is bolted through the marginal edges of the saw-steel plate to the cover to hold the said plate in spaced relation above the cover.

It is therefore to be understood that each of the sound-producing highway elements has the form of one hollow receptacle within another, and that each element is embedded in the highway, preferably with the rectangular frame 137 flush with the upper highway surface so that the wheels of a vehicle may pass over the frame and the saw-steel plate Without jolt or jar to a veswitch contacts are actuated by thepassagc of vehicles.

Furthermore a highway element embodying the features of construction herein set forth is capable of producing sustained vibrations which are utilized in the present arrangement of apparatus to great advan tage, in that as long as those vibrations continue, certain mechanisms which depend on a cessation of those vibrations cannot function until such vibrations cease; consequently they materially aid in producing delays in apparatus action without resorting to costly timing mechanisms.

In Fig. 5, I have shown one of the vibrating relays such as is connected to the microphone for operating the traffic signals in response to sound waves set up by traflic moving over the sound board.

By reference to said Fig. 5, it will be noted that I house this mechanism in a suitable case 138, and that I arrange a diaphragm head 139 in a horizontal plane so that the diaphragm thereof may vibrate vertically. Beneath this head 139, I provide a vibrating bar 140 which is pivoted in a trunnion bearing 14:1 and which bar has an inclined threaded stem 142 at one end on which there is a small balancing nut 143.

The opposite end of bar 140 has a pin 141 which is normally held seated against the under side of the diaphragm in the head 139 so that when the pin and diaphragm are held in contact, a constant circuit may be maintained, but when the diaphragm is vibrated in response to vibrations set up in the microphone of a highway element to which the relay mechanism is connected, such diaphragm vibrations will cause the pin 144 to vibrate and intermittently interl3 rupt the circuit therethrough as long as those vibrations continue so that any relay that is hooked up in a circuit having the bar 140, pin 1% and diaphragm will respond to those circuit interruptions.

It will therefore be seen that I have provided a highway element which is free of any movable mechanical parts and which is not dependent upon any uncertain magnetic element. That is to say, the passage of trafiic over the sounding board sets up vibrations in the inner shell and is a positive means which is not affected by weather, the presence of a layer of snow, ice or debris on the board and will always be an instantaneous and reliable actuating means.

It will be noted that the metal top 126, acts as a sounding board as well as a support for the inner shell or sound box. latter shell being suspended from the top and of thin metal will vibrate due to passage of rolling traflic such as motor vehicles and trucks passing over the plate 135 and top 126. The waves set up in the inner This -. are picked up by the microphone.

As stated the plate 135 is separated only a slight distance from the top 126 and acts as a selector means for cutting out the efi'ect of forces acting to produce vibration of the inner shell ofless magnitude than those of the order produced by moving trafiic. Thus the effect of hail, sleet or rain is eliminated.

The sound box or inner shell as'stated is supported for vibration only by the top member 126 and the vibrations set up by movement of trafiic are therefore undamped so that the sound box is sensitive to operate the signal without need for any mechanical devices such as moving parts.

The frame 137 is of very slight thickness so as not to produce an objectionable depression in the roadway with which it is disposed flush.

The construction is retained in position in the roadway, by the earth and road surfacing and is resistant to seepage i. e. substantially sealed. The lead opening in box 131 through which the wires are passed will be packed in any suitable manner as at 131 and the cover 132 is provided also with a water tight gasket or packing 132'.

ll claim:

1. A highway element for traflic-actuated signal mechanisms comprising a covered shell in the highway over which trafic passes, the cover of said shell being formed with a double wall with an air-space between said walls and a sound-actuated element operated by sound-waves due to traflic set up in said shell.

2. A highway element for traflic-actuated signal mechanisms comprising ashell having a cover, said shell to be placed in the highway, a plate over the top of and slightly spaced from said cover and a soundactuated element operated by sound-waves due to trallio set up in the shell.

3. A highway element for trafiic-actuated si nal mechanisms comprising a shell over which traflic passes to produce sound therein, means associated with said shell for rendering it selectively sensitive to the passage of traflic thereover, and a sound actuated element responsive to the sound waves due to traffic set up in said shell.

4. A highway element for traflic-actuated signal mechanisms comprising a shell having a top forming a sounding board, a shell disposed within the first shell and supported by said sounding board in spaced relation to the walls of the outer shell, a sound responsive element directly associated with the inner shell, a selector plate, and means for supporting the selector plate superposed on said sounding board and in spaced relation thereto.

5. A highway element for trafiic actuated signal mechanisms andrada'pted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a sounding board supported thereby and adapted to be exposed to trafiic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, means for supporting said inner cas, ing within said outer-casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as traffic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving traffic over said sounding board producing vibrations in said inner casing of a frequency wllliereby they may be picked up by a microp one.

6. A highway element for traflic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a sounding board supported thereby and adapted to be exposed to traffic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, means for supporting said inner casing within said outer casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as traflic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving trafiic over said sounding board producing vibrations in said inner casing, and means responsive to the vibrations set up in the inner casing.

7. A highway element for traflic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a sounding board supported thereby and adapted to be exposed to traffic passing over the highway, an inner hollowcasing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, means for supporting said inner casing within said-outer casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as traffic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving traflic over said sounding board producing substantially undamped vi brations in said inner casing of the frequency of sound waves, and a microphone structure including a microphone responsive to the sound waves set up in the inner shell, means for attaching the microphone to the inner shell, a relay, and means responsive to the action of the microphone to operate the relay. 1

8. A highway element for traffic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprisin an outer hollow casing, a sounding boar mounted thereon and adapted to be exposed to traflic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing shell from said sounding board to vibrate in the outer casing as traflic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving traffic over said sounding board producing substantially undamped vibrations in said inand means suspending said inner ner casing of the frequency of sound waves.

9. A highway element for trafiic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a sounding board mounted thereon and adapted to be exposed to trafiic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casin and means freely suspending said inner s ell from said sounding board to vibrate in the outer casin as traffic moves over the sounding boar the passa e of moving trafiic over said sounding boar producing substantially undamped vibrations in said inner casing of the frequency of sound waves, and means responsive to the sound waves set up in the inner shell.

10. A hi hway element for traflic actuated signal mec anisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a cover therefor, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, and means suspending said inner casing within said outer casing from the said cover, said cover closing said inner casing and forming a sounding board, the passa e of moving traflic thereover producing sufistantially undamped vibrations in said inner casing of the frequency of sound waves.

11. A highway element for traflic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a cover therefor, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, and means freely suspending said inner casing-"within said outer casing from the said cover, said cover closing said inner casing and forming a sounding board, the passage of moving traflic thereover producing substantially undamped vibrations in said inner casing of thefrequency of sound Waves, and means responsive to the sound waves set up in the inner shell.

12. A highway element for trafiic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprisin metal hollow shell, a cover there or, an inner hollow metal shell of relatively thinner metal than the outer shell and of smaller dimension than said outer shell, means suspending said inner shell within said outer shell from said cover, said cover closing said inner shell and forming a sounding board,

the passage of moving traflic thereover producing substantially undamped vibrations in said inner casing of the frequency of sound waves.

13. A highway element for trafiic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an oufer metal hollowshell, a metal cover therefor, an inner hollow metal shell of smaller dimension than the outer shell, said inner shell welded to said cover and suspended in said an outer outer shell from said cover and closed thereby, said cover forming a soundin board and the passa e of moving trafiic t ereover producing su stantiall undamped vibrations in said inner caslng of the frequency of sound waves.

14. A hi hway element for trailic actuated signal mec anisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprisin an outer metal hollow shell, a cover there or, an inner hollow metal shell of smaller dimension than the outer shell, said inner shell connected to the cover at its top only and suspended in said outer shell from said cover and closed thereby, said cover forming a sounding board and the passage of moving traffic thereover producing substantially undamped vibrations in said inner casing of the requency of sound waves.

15. A highway element for traflic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising a pair of substantially rectangular shells arranged one within the other with their side, end and bottom Walls in spaced relation, and a single cover closing the tops of both shells means supporting the inner shell from sai cover, said cover forming a sounding boardadapted to be positioned in the path of movm trafiic and the passage of traflic over sai cover producing substantially undam ed vibrations in said inner shell of the requency of sound waves.

16. A highway element for traffic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casin a sounding board supported thereby an adapted to be exposed to traffic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, means for supporting said inner casing within said outer casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as trafiic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving traffic over said sounding board producin substantially undamped vibrations in sai inner casing of the frequency of sound waves, and a microphone structure comprising a microphone responsive to said sound waves attached to the inner casing and extending outwardly through the outer casing, and a chamber external to said outer casing and enclosing said michrophone.

17 A hi hway element for trafiic actuated signal mec anisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, comprising an outer hollow casing, a sounding board supported thereby and adapted to be exposed to traflic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer' casing. means for supporting said inner cas ing within said outer casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as traflic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving trafiic over said sounding board producing substantially undamped vibrations in said inner casing of the frequency of sound waves, and a microphone structure comprising a microphone responsive to said sound waves attached to the inner casing and extending outwardly through the outer casing, and a chamber external to said outer casing and enclosing said microphone, and a door for said chamber, whereby access to the microphone may be had without removing said element from the highway.

18. A highway element for traflic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, com rising an outer hollow casing, a sounding oard supported thereby and adapted to be exposed to trafiic passing over the highway, an inner hollow casing of smaller dimension than the outer casing, means for supporting said inner casing within said outer casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as trafiic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving trafiic over said sounding board said inner casin producing substantiall undamped vibrations in said inner caslng of the frequency of sound waves, a selector plate for rendering the element selectively sensitive to the passage of traffic thereover, and means for supporting said selector plate in spaced relation to the sounding board.

19. A highway element for trafiic actuated signal mechanisms and adapted to be interposed in the highway, com rising an outer hollow casing, a sounding oard supported thereby and adapted to be exposed to traffic passing over the outer casin means for supporting said inner casing wit in said outer casing to vibrate in the outer casing in response to vibrations of the sounding board as traflic moves over the sounding board, the passage of moving traflic over said sounding'board producing vibrations in of a frequency whereby they may be pic ed up by a microphone, a microphone structure including a microphone, and means. for attaching the microphone to the inner casing to be responsive to said vibrations.

CHARLES ADLER, JR. 

